John Prine

If Bob Dylan werent already from the Midwest, John Prine would easily be the frontrunner for the title of Bob Dylan of the Midwest. But since Dylan is from Minneapolis, Prine, who hails from a Chicago suburb, will have to settle for being the John Prine of the Worldwhich isnt really settling at all. Prine is Dylans folk contemporary, and the two raspy-voiced troubadours have long formed a mutual admiration society. But when Dylan went electric, Prine stayed true to his largely unamplified roots. Last year, Alison Krauss and Robert Plant drenched Prines Killing the Blues in honey, just as Bonnie Raitt did with his Angel from Montgomery. Whats more, Kris Kristofferson once said, Prine is so good, we may have to break his thumbs. Lucky for us, the bearded badass never followed through on that threat, not yet anyway. With Dan Reeder. MIKE SEELY